Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C), Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) and Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov (L) visit the military Patriot Park in Kubinka, outside Moscow, on September 19, 2018. Russian law enforcement have detained Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov on suspicion of taking bribes, Russia's Investigative Committee said on April 23, 2024. (Alexey Nikolsky/Pool/AFP)
Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on April 23 on the suspicion of receiving a bribe, Russia's Investigative Committee announced.
Ivanov, who is Russia's top official in charge of the country's construction of military facilities, was detained under part six of Article 290 of Russia's Criminal Code. According to Russian state media outlet TASS, the specific provision under the Criminal Code pertains to bribes over 1 million rubles.
Russia's Investigative Committee noted that an investigation is ongoing and did not provide any details on the allegations.
The Investigative Committee said that it will petition for Ivanov's arrest. If convicted, Ivanov would face up to 15 years in prison.
Ivanov, who has been sanctioned by various Western countries due to his role in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was previously the target of a December 2022 investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The investigation alleged that Ivanov profited from construction projects in occupied Mariupol.
A staunch opponent of corruption and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Navalny died on Feb. 16, 2024 after was being held in a penal colony in Russia's far northern Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Navalny was convicted in Russian court with charges of extremism - which have been recognized internationally as being politically motivated.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Elsa Court
